Blank-feeding mechanism



Oct.' 9, 1928.

F. G. FEELY BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed June 30, 1925 after we Oct. 9,v 1928. 1,687,290

F. G.FEE| EY BLANK FEEDING MECHANI SM Original Filed June 30, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 9, 1928.

F. G., FEELEY BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed June 50 .arms 13 and 17A on opposite sides ofthe ma- Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.,

FRANK e. FEELEY, or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, AssrGNon 'ro n.11). KNOWLTON'GOMPANY,

r OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A vCORIEORA'LION 0F NEW 'YORK BLANK-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Original application led June 30, 1925,

The invention relates to mechanism for feeding blanks, like, to machines for operating on the blanks, as for example, boX forming and staying machines as shown and described in applicants' Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the feeding mechanism and a portion of the box making machine. l

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation.

Fig. 2a is a sectional elevation of' a feed table operating and supporting mechanism.

Fig. 2b is a. similar view showing another section of this apparatus. Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of-the front partof the machine.

Fig. 3'LL is aV detail view ofa lock-out de- -vice for the table feed actuating means.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, 1 indicates themain frame of the machine, preferably made up of side and end castings, in which is journaled a transverse main shaft 2 driven by an electric motor 3, mounted within the main frame, the shaft of the motor'being connected to main shaft 2 by a train of reducing gearing 4, 5, 6 and 7. Secured to the front end of the main frame are two skeletonized brackets 10, 10 connected at their front ends by a cross bar 11, which brackets serve as supports for the blank magazine, feed table ,and certain otheraccessories of the machine. Journaled in the brackets 1Y0, 10is a cross shaft 12 upon which are rigidly secured two rocker arms 13, 13 the outer ends of a short gear segment 15 and a vplain segmental surface 14, the gear segment meshing with a rack 21 on the under side of feed table 2O and the cylindrical surface 14 constituting a'rocker bearing for the table, as indicated in Fig. .2a. Mounted upon studs 16 fixed to the forward portions of the bracketsA 10 are two rocker arms 17, 17 finished at their outer'ends with segmental cylindrical surfaces 18 cooperating with the plain surface on Vthe bottom of the table 20. The two sets of rocker chine' are each coupled by connectingrods 19. The table is thus constructed and arranged to reciprocate such as paper board and thel which are finished with horizontally with noV Serial No. 40,571. Divided andthis application led November 2, v19:26. Serial No. 145,804.

sliding` friction, the reciprocation being effected bythe cooperating gear segments 15 and racks 21 and the cylindrical arcuate ends of the-rocker arms support the table l.

with a roller-like action, thereby reducing friction of the moving parts to a minimum. The table 20 is preferably formed vas va single casting provided lwith a ribbed .upper surface and a central longitudinal slot or opening in which is located a stationary guide rail 21. Adjustably mounted on the table 20 is a feeder block 31, the rear tra-nsverse portion of which isdivided intol two lateral sections to receive 'hardened steelv feeder lips 32, which are of Vdifferent heights on the opposite feeding edges `andare reversible in the blockto present eithervl the high or low feeding edge to the blanks, when feeding heavy or light/weight blanks. Adjustably mounted on the stationary guide rail 21 is a vertical back stop 22, which, with the `front member 27 vertically suspendedy between the brackets 10, 10, serves to Vconfine the blanks endwise on the table and in?` the .A l

The front stop 27 carries a slide or gate 29 which is vertically adjustable by means of a set screw 30, so that the lower edge of the slide or gate may be raised or magazine.

lowered with respect to the top of the table v to permit the discharge of one blank at a time, the adjustment being necessaryto accommodateblanks of varying thickness.

The magazine sides 23 are in the form of lcast plates suspended from transverse rods l 24, 24 (Fig. 2) secured in the upper portions of the brackets 10,-10, said ,pilates being slidable on said rods transversely of the table to accommodate blanks of different widths, the

adjustment of the sides being effected byk means of a shaft 25 having threads ofopposite pitch on its respective ends engaging lugs 25 on the plates 23, said shaft 25 being operated by a crank v26 secured to one end thereof. The magazine lsides 23,.do not extend down tothe top of the table v20, as it is desirable'to have the feeder block 31 as wide as possible, so as to engage a considerable extent of the edge of the blank which is being `fed in order that 'the feeding motion may be straight and true. Itk is also `desirable to have the magazine sides aslong as possible to properly confine long blanks. Therefore, ,when blanks narrower 31 Vand shorter. than thesides 23 are beingl than ythe feeder block i maintain a handled, the feeder block must move under the lower edges of the magazine sides. In order to confine the lower part of the blanks under such conditions, adjustable extension side pieces 34C vare secured to the lower edges of the magazine sides 23.

Journaled in housings formed as rearward extensions of the brackets 10, 10 is a shaft 36 carrying a lower feedl roll 85, which cooperates with anupper feed roll 39, mounted in bearings on the lower ends of vertical slide rods 40, supported nin the extensions .of brackets 10 on opposite sides of thev machine, each of said rods being acted upon by fa coil spring '41 tending to forcetheupper roll 39 towardthe lower roll 35, and the rods being adjusted'to separate the rollsv by a space a little less'than the thickness of the blanks' being fed to prevent jumping of the upper roll when the blank enters the rolls, said adjustment being effected by nuts 42. This mounting of the upper roll provides a fairly unif vform and constant pressure on the blanks in spite 'of variation in thickness of the stock and permits the rolls to separate by inoverment of the upper roll, if, by accident, two or more blanks are simultaneously fed from the magazine. The lower feed roll '35 is driven b 'a belt 37 from a pulley 38, which is ,voperatec by suitable gearing from the main shaft 2, the driving pulley being preferably provided with a suitable belt ti ghtener 38 to proper tension on the drive belt 37.

As indicated, the feed table 20 is reciprocatedby the oscillation of the two sets of yrocker arms 13 and 17. In order to effect the rearward motion ofthe table away from the feed rolls, a positive driving connection is provided as follows: a cam 50,`fast to main shaft 2, is engaged by a rollerr52 pivoted to fork 5,1, which straddles the hub of the cam 50, said fork having adj ustably secured thereto a connecting rod 53, the, opposite end of which is connected to a crank arm54 secured to shaft 12 upon which the rocker Varms 13 are fixed. It willbe seen, therefore, that the cam 50 actuates connecting rod 53 in one direction only, namely, in its outward movement from shaft 2, this movement enecting the retraction of the table20 as the krocker arms 13 and 17 are moved toward the left, as

e shown in Fig.` 3. The feeding movement of the table and the return of connecting rod 53 to its normal position is accomplished by helical springs 56'connected to the under side of the table and to the brackets 10, 10. The advantages of employing the springs to effect the active or operative movement of the feed table vare that the feeding movements are uniform and may be enected with great rapidity, but will vnevertheless be instantly lsuspended should the blank being fed meet with an obstructionfsulncient to damage or derange any of the parts of the apparatus,

krratus when the table is at the rear vextremity of its stroke, that is to say, when the Vcana roller 52 is on lthe highest part of the cam 50. The mechanism to effect this object comprises an extension 60 of Crank arm i4-,which has an arcuate end adapted to be Aengaged bya bolt 61 slidably mounted'in a housing62 on bracket 10,V said bolt being actuated by springs 66 and 67 interposed between the bolt and an eccentric actuator 63 mounted o n shaft 64 provided with an operating handle 65. By turning the'handlein oneldirection,

the bolt 61 is advancedto engage the arcuate end of arm 60 of crank arm 511, when the latter has been moved to its upper position to retract the table, the frictionalengagement .between the belt and the arm 60 being sutlicient to prevent the table being returned by the springs 56. rlbe'friction caused by the side thrust of arm 50 against bolt 51 is also greater than the force exerted byl actuating the spring of the' bolt, this making it impossible to withdraw the latch at the wrong time and cause damage which might result if the cam roller 52 was some distance away from its cam when release ofthe hold-out latch is effected. The

veo

handle 65 of the boltmay be operated in'V either direction, atany time, Ybut the bolt 6 1 will not engage or disengage the arm 60 eX- cept when the cam roller 52 is on the high point of its cam and the table 2O is in its eX- treme retracted position. y

Vhile the blank feeding device has been shown as applied to a boxinaking machine` it is to be understood that it is not limited to such specific use, but is applicable and adapted for the feeding of blanks in sheet form and various sizes to machines of any type adapted to receive and operate upon such blanks.'

What I claim is: i 1. A blank feeding mechanism comprising a main drive shaft, a reciprocatory feed table', rocker arms supporting said table, feed rolls adjacent the discharge end of said table,drive mechanism connecting the main shaft vand the table for retracting the latter, and spring means for effecting the working stroke of sai table. v

2. A blank feeding mechanism comprising a main drive shaft, a reciprocatory feed table, rocker arms supporting said table, feed rolls adjacent the discharge end of said table, a cam connecting rod actuating said rocker4 arms to'retract the table, and spring means for effecting the worlging Stroke of the table.

' rocker arms to retract the table, andspring 3. A blank feeding mechanism comprising a main drive shaft, a reciprocatory feed table, rocker arms having arcuate ends supporting said table, gear toothed engagement between two of said arms and the table, feed rolls adjacent the discharge end of said table, a cam connecting rod actuating said majans for effecting the working stroke of the ta le.

4. A blank feeding mechanism comprising a main drive shaft, a reciprocatory feed table, rocker arms supporting said table, feed rolls adjacent the discharge end of said t-able, two pairs of rocker arms having arcuate ends supporting said table, tie rods connecting the rocker arms on each side of the table, a crank arm on the shaft of the rear rocker arms, said crank arm having an extension, a spring actuated cam latch secured to the machine frame and cooperating with said extension to lock and unlock the table in retracted position, a cam on the main'shaft7 a connecting rod between the cam and rocker arm to retract the table, and springs connected to the table and the machine frame to move the table in its working stroke.

5. A blank feeding mechanism comprising a feed table, rocker arms supporting the feed table for horizontal reciprocation, positive means operated from the drive shaft of the machine for retracting the table, springs for effecting the working stroke of the table, and laterally adjustable side guides suspendedv above the table. s l

6. A blank feeding mechanism comprising a feed table, rocker arms supporting the feed table for horizontal reciprocation, positive means operated from the drive shaft of the machine for retracting the table, springs for erally adjustable sideguides suspended above j the table, an adjustable back stop in advance of the front of the table, and a forward stop having a vertically adjustable gate fixed above the table at the forward limit of its stroke. i

7. In a blank feeding mechanism the combination of a reciprocating feed table, an ad- 4justable blank stop secured in advance of said table, a feeder block adjustably mount-y ed on the table, feeder lips having blank engaging edges of different heights on said block, and feed rolls adjacent the forward limit of movement of said table. j

8. In a blank feeding mechanism the combinationof a reciprocating feed table, an adjustable blank stop secured in advance of said table, a feeder block adjustably mounted on the table, side guides mounted above and adjustable transversely of the table, means for adjusting said guides Vfor blanks of different widths,'and feed rolls adjacent 'the forward limit of movement of said table.

9. In a blank feeding mechanism the combination of a reciprocating feed table, an adjustable blank stop secured in advance of said table, a feeder block adjustably mounted on the table, said guides mounted above and adjustable transversely of the table with their lower edges elevated to permit the passage of the feeder block thereunder, adjustable side pieces secured to the lower edges` of said guides, means for kadjusting said guides for blanks of different widths, and

feed rolls adjacent the forward limit of Y movement of said table. n a

Inv testimony whereof I aflix my signature.V

FRANK `G. FEELEY. 

